Colonial New Jersey

Exploring New Jersey

SourceSource Spanish explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano was sent on a mission by King Francis I of France to explore the "new world" from Newfoundland to Florida. The purpose was to find a route to the Pacific Ocean that a ship could easily take. He explores the New Jersey coast.

Jan 1, 1609

New Netherlands

SourceSourceThe Dutch West India Company sent Henry Hudson, an English navigator, sailing up a river (which is later called the Hudson river) into the Newark Bay, which is along the New Jersey shore. He claimed land for the Dutch and named it New Netherlands.

Jun 2, 1621

Dutch West India Company

SourceSourceThe Dutch West India Company is chartered (they got to trade more). The Estates-General of the Netherlands found the Dutch West India Company. It was a chartered company of Dutch merchants. The purposes were to introduce trade in North and South America, build forts, take care of troops, and try/test Spanish trade in America (mostly the West Indies).

Sep 15, 1655

Peach Tree War

Source An Indian girl went into the orchard of Henry Van Dyck to get a peach. He lived in New Netherland. His reaction was to shoot her with his rifle. Peter Stuyvesant was the Director-General of New Netherland. He was away with his 600 soldiers when 500 Indians attacked the people in his area. The fighting lasted for three days. When Stuyvesant returned, he talked with the Indians to work out problems. This was the last major Dutch-Indian fight.

Sep 5, 1660

Bergen

SourceSourceThe Dutch settle Bergen, New Jersey's first town and permanent settlement. It officially began in 1661. It was walled in for protection like many settlements. The land it was on used to be cornfield but was cleared out by the Hackensack Indians. It was looked at and named "Bergen", the Dutch word for hill.

Jan 1, 1664

New Jersey

SourceSourceThe British took control of the New Netherlands and took it from the Dutch. Britain gave Sir John Berkley and Sir George Carteret a charter to start a colony in the land and to name it New Jersey after the island of Jersey in the English Channel.

Jan 1, 1676

New Jersey Division

SourceSourceSource New Jersey colony divided into East and West Jersey. It was divided between Sir George Carteret (in charge of East) and John, Lord Berkeley (in charge of West). Carteret later sold his part to William Penn and some Quakers. Berkeley later sold his part to some Quakers, too.

Jan 1, 1702

New Jersey Becomes Royal Colony

SourceSource East and West Jersey finally combine into one colony. New Jersey then becomes a royal colony. Berkeley and Carteret surrendered their right to the crown and West and East Jersey united.

Jan 1, 1719

Trent House

SourceSourceSource William Trent was a popular merchant. He had this brick mansion built in 1719. During the fighting of the American Revolution, the Trent House was sometimes used by the Hessians and was used during other battles.

Jan 1, 1738

Lewis Morris

SourceSource Lewis Morris started to govern Colonial New Jersey when the political connection between New York and New Jersey ended. He had his own ideas and did not follow in the footsteps of Cornbury and Cosby, two previous governors. He told the Provincial Congress (a governing body in the Province of New Jersey during the early times of the American Revolution) about their duties and complained often.

Oct 22, 1746

Princeton University

SourceSourcePrinceton University was chartered by the governor in 1746. It was originally named College of New Jersey. The college was first located in Elizabeth for one year, relocated to Newark for nine years, and then moved to Princeton in 1756. In 1896, it was named Princeton University. For half of a century, the whole college was housed in Nassau Hall, which was donated by Nathaniel FitzRandolph.